This project oozed innovation and it was so exciting to be part of it. It was a tough gig as we were measured on all releases, regardless of whether they chose to engage with the service. The team of staff and volunteers were incredible though, as were our local partners, so it is no surprise to find that we had a positive impact. You often hear people talk about multi-agency working but I’d never experienced it quite like this before. The fact that we had seven years, a flexible budget and one outcome, to reduce crime, resonated with agencies across the spectrum and their buy-in was fantastic.

Our clients faced multiple barriers and often had entrenched behaviour patterns so this journey wasn’t an easy one. I am so proud of the way clients embraced the opportunities and made efforts to change their lives. It was really exciting to see them open up and engage with the service. Some took time to build trust, and progress was slow and steady over several years. This reinforces my view that projects like this need to be long term, so we can establish meaningful relationships and integrate fully into the local landscape. It was really hard work and at times immensely frustrating but it’s great to know that it worked.